


Lies of Good Men

by noellisetrevelyan



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Betrayal, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Rage, Red Lyrium, Templar Trevelyan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-03
Updated: 2015-04-03
Packaged: 2018-03-21 03:29:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3675741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noellisetrevelyan/pseuds/noellisetrevelyan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After learning the truth of Blackwall, Noellise Trevelyan is enraged and feels betrayed. The burdens she carries mixed with her exposure to Red Lyrium leaves her enraged, and Cullen is left feeling concerned that she's vulnerable to corruption. He tries to calm her, but she lashes out in a way he's never seen her before. Cullen is there to pick up the pieces, and to wonder if perhaps something needs to be done to save the Inquisitor from falling prey to the Red Lyrium and becoming a Red Templar, and thus corrupting the Inquisition to follow in the footsteps of their enemy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lies of Good Men

**Author's Note:**

> I think I'm going to continue along the lines of developing a story of saving poor Inquisitor Noellise from corruption, so expect a lot more Cullen supporting her through her addiction and need to be strong enough to face her enemy. A lot of fluff and angst to come. Hurt/comfort is sort of my favorite genre soooo...  
> More to come!

Betrayal. Hurt. Thom Rainier. The name rang in her ears over and over again. Deceit. Murder. Treason. Blackwall was a good man. Rainier was not. She staggered away from Rainier's jail cell. She had wanted answers. She found nothing but more confusion. Despite all that had happened at Adamant, the Warden had been determined to stay with the Inquisition, to help them stop Corypheus. He in some measure understood the Inquisitor's reasons for banishing the Wardens, but it didn't stop him from being angry. But did he have the right to be angry?

Noellise climbed the long flight of stairs back up to the main floor of the jail, fingers trailing along the wall to ground her. She was floating above reality, the regret and betrayal building ever stronger in her chest. She was absolutely disgusted. How could she be tricked so easily? As leader of the Inquisition, she needed to make allies for the good of their cause and the people. To make unreliable and deceitful allies would discredit everything they worked so hard for. And Thom Rainier just proved she trusted too easily.

Commander Cullen was pacing the first floor of the jail, reading over Lelliana's report on one Thom Rainier. It was fairly cut and dry. His crimes were laid out plain as day, and there was no denying he had led his soldiers to murder the Callier family. After all of this time, a wanted man at large was right under their noses this whole time. That wasn't going to bode well for the Inquisition. For them to allow a traitor to serve them, and not even KNOW! Josephine had a lot of work ahead of her repairing the damage to their reputation.

"Maker's breath..."

He released a strained and tired sigh. It seemed there was no end to the Inquisition's work. He couldn't remember the last time he slept, and he didn't even want to guess how long ago it was that Noellise Trevelyan slept. Always on the go. Always jumping on every lead they got to free the regions of Thedas from the corruptive clutches of Corypheus. And after the losses they just suffered at Adamant, this betrayal was going to hit her harder than it may have if things were in a better place.

Cullen's head turned to glance at the stairwell, hearing the echoes of heavy footsteps trudging up. Another moment and he took in the sorry sight of the Inquisitor, his dear one. She looked exhausted to the core, dark circles rimming under her eyes. She was pale and haggard, and her eyes betrayed the deep feelings of hurt she was experiencing. She was a mere shadow of the proud, noble Templar who would give the armor off her back to give to a farmer trying to fight bandits to save his family. This was not the woman who stood before him now.

"You have that report?"

"Ah, yes, Inquisitor. Given the sensitive nature of the situation, Lelliana made quick work of digging up all she could find on Thom Rainier."

Cullen handed the report to Noellise, whose eyes were skimming the surface of the pages, but not truly taking in the words.  
I'm not Blackwall!

Her eyes blurred. Noellise rubbed them, trying to focus. She couldn't. Her body felt heavy, like chains and irons were adding weight to the burden, trying to leash her to the floor. Her breath hitched, legs going weak. She pitched forward, just barely catching herself on the jailor's desk. She was rather thankful no one besides she and Cullen were present at the moment.

"Noellise!"

Cullen lurched forward, catching the tired woman into his arms, as a fail-safe in the event her grasp on the desk had failed her. She did it this time. She pushed it much too far. The recent injuries, the endless days spent aiding the clean-up efforts in ridding Thedas of the remaining Red Templars, and now this betrayal; her heart was burdening too much. She had no strength left to hold her head up.

"He...betrayed us. Betrayed ME! Cullen I...TRUSTED him..."

The harsh tone took Cullen aback. He looked down upon the Inquisitor's face, and it was twisted in such rage. A shell of her gentle kindness. She shoved Cullen away, the raw emotion giving her a burst of energy. She let out a primal yell, knocking over the desk that shared the room with them. Cullen had backed himself into a corner of the small room, trying to give space to Noellise to work out her anger. Pinning her in would only make it worse. He knew because this was a mirror of himself when the withdrawal symptoms peaked in severity. He saw the hunger in her eyes. The hunger for the power to keep something like this from happening ever again. But the sort of power her rage addled mind wanted was a sinister power that would consume her, burn her through until Noellise Trevelyan no longer existed.

"I TRUSTED HIM! Oh I WANT to believe in the good nature of ALL but what happens when I do that? My trust is forsaken. Bet he thought he was really DAMN clever."

Cullen felt absolutely helpless. All he could do was damage control, try to keep her from hurting herself or anyone else. She prowled around the room, pacing like a caged, feral beast, ready to lash out and attack its master. He was at the ready to reach for the shield on his. If Noellise were to attack, he wouldn't be able to fight back, but at least he could make the damage minimal. He was hoping to avoid that.

"Noellise, calm yourself. I understand, we all feel betrayed. Now isn't the time. We'll find a way to have him released to us, so that you may judge him for his crimes. Don't let this consume you...focus. Come back to me."

"How can I be trusted to make decisions on the behalf of the Inquisition when THIS happens?! Oh they'll all think they can trick me...I will NOT be lied to again. I'll purge them...before they can betray us...I promise...I will stop at nothing to make sure this NEVER happens again..."  
Her words were laced with sinister intent and venom. Before Cullen could catch her arm, Noellise maneuvered around him, slamming her way out of the jail. Fear clawed its way into his chest, shaky hands picking the scattered report up off of the floor. He hadn't expected THIS! Anger, yes...but this...

\---------------

Cullen didn't have a single word with the Inquisitor since returning to Skyhold. The only consolation is that she seemed to be avoiding everyone else who made an attempt to soothe the rage boiling so close to the surface. The cold shoulder wasn't given to him exclusively. She spent hours in the arena just outside of the tavern, sparring with Ser, the man who had trained her in the Templar way. No words were exchanged with him, either. Just the clash of swords and shields. 

Cullen would stop his work from time to time to watch from the small window overlooking Skyhold from his quarters. She really should be resting, but if this is how she had to work through it...so long as she wasn't causing any harm.

As darkness descended and the air grew still, Cullen decided it was best to call it a night and try to rest. Tonight was another restless one, but for reasons other than withdrawal from lyrium, as was the usual. Her words plagued his mind. She sounded prepared to cut down every last person she held suspicions of betraying her and the Inquisition. And while it was natural to take this hard, for her to become so...cruel and unforgiving...so willing to throw trust away. He sighed out in the stagnant darkness, gripping the blanket tightly. This is a side of Noellise he, nor anyone else has ever seen. There was talk amongst the inner circle that the red lyrium they had been removing from easy access has been singing in her head, affecting the Inquisitor in ways they hoped it wouldn't. This was likely due to her choice to follow the life of a Templar, a life she had wanted since she was a child. There was a little mumbled disapproval, but overall they still had faith in their Inquisitor. But this could pose a previously unforeseen problem. Cullen was liking less and less the idea of Noellise aiding Ferelden in riding their lands of the Red Templars. She was so vulnerable...

A sudden creaking could be heard from the darkness of his office below. One of the doors? Could it be? He remained quiet, as not to spook Noellise if it by chance could be her. Soft footsteps, light form ascending the ladder, someone sliding into bed with him. Noellise. She wrapped a cool arm around his waist, nuzzling into the space of his back between his shoulder blades. He let out an approving grumble, turning to face his beloved. She looked just as hurt, tired, but the rage had thankfully subsided.

"How are you holding up?"

"Can what happened back at Val Royeaux really be called holding up?

Noellise laughed dryly, burying her face into the crook of Cullen's neck. It was safe and warm there, so close to the commander.

"I'm...sorry you had to see that. I don't know what came over me."

"You've been through a lot lately. It's enough to make anyone lose it. You may be the Inquisitor, but you're still human like the rest of...well the most of us."

"You know, I forget that sometimes. People seem to have put me up on this pedestal I simply can't fill, as if being the Inquisitor has made me so much more somehow..."

"Well..."

Cullen played with Noellise's short, golden hair, unkempt yet clean. She must have taken a long cool-down soak after her hours of training upon her return to Skyhold. She always smelled so sweet after cleaning herself up. The scent soothed him, though he'd grown quite accustomed to the grime and mild stench of hard work, battle, and the land that rolled off of her. She cooed in approval, closing her eyes, finally allowing her coiled muscles to unknot.  
"In a way, you are more. But just because you ARE the hope of Thedas, doesn't mean you're no longer human. Noellise, we can understand you need rest, need to properly care for your own well-being, and most of all WILL make mistakes! None of us knew the dark truth Bla--er, Thom Rainier was hiding. It's not a character flaw on your part. We all want to believe in the good intentions of men, that they'd do the right thing for the sake of Thedas...but sometimes that intention is twisted by secrets and lies hidden so deep they're almost lost."

Cullen kissed her brow, Noellise chuckling softly to herself.

"YOU'RE not some Tevinter spy or something? A rogue with secret ties to the Carta? A Red Templar who's a damn good liar and is going to corrupt my mind in service to Corypheus?"

Cullen choked back a laugh, shaking his head as his smile lit up the dark room.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"Good..."

Noellise pressed herself closer to Cullen, feeling her eyelids drooping heavily, sleep hazing her mind, beckoning her to rest.

"Cullen?"

His name was slurred out tiredly. Cullen cradled the exhausted woman close, the exhaustive events of late finally using up the reserves of his own energy. He welcomed an easy night's sleep. They seem so hard to come by these days.

"Yes love?"

"Thank you...for everything..."

He didn't need the thanks. He would do anything for her. But something nagged there on the edges of his mind, as he drifted away into slumber with his love in his arms. He'd seen the red darkness in her face, in her eyes, taunting and tainting her. This business with the Red Templars, mixed with her vulnerability posed a significant risk. It was certainly something he'd have to consult with her companions about. They've already lost so much. He couldn't lose Noellise to red lyrium. To lose her would topple the Inquisition and give the people nothing to hold faith in. If red lyrium is becoming a problem, then it needed to be solved, before he lost his love to the vile stuff entirely. And he was not about to lose her. Not like that. They would overcome this.


End file.
